


Send Me Photographs and Souvenirs

by odofidi



Series: Someone Exactly Like You [10]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Boys In Love, But it's legal. Cause California, Cancun, Drug Use, Fluff, Happy Ending, Honeymoon, Los Angeles, Love, M/M, Mexico, Post Season 6, Post-Canon, SO MUCH FLUFF, Vacation, beach, these two idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:21:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24981487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/odofidi/pseuds/odofidi
Summary: “Come on, David. You’re getting full decision making rights for our entire wedding. Let me do this.”“And where would we go?”“I don’t know. Where would you want to go?”_______David and Patrick take their honeymoon, with a small detour for a Rose family visit.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: Someone Exactly Like You [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1703641
Comments: 19
Kudos: 199





	Send Me Photographs and Souvenirs

**Author's Note:**

> Well hello! I hope you are all doing well, staying healthy, staying motivated.
> 
> We have finally reached the fic I originally wanted to write that started this whole series. Cause it's totally normal for the 10th fic in a series be the one that started it all...
> 
> As usual, while this is part of an interconnected series, it can be read as a stand alone. There are references to those that came before it, but nothing that will confuse (at least I hope).
> 
> Title is from Patsy Cline's "You Belong to Me".
> 
> This has not been beta read, so all mistakes and inaccuracies are mine. I claim them in the name of Denmark.

It started the week after they had gotten engaged.

After deciding that they would forgo the expensive location and get married at the Rosebud, David had gone into full mood board mode, spending each night at the kitchen table in Patrick’s apartment, trying to figure out the exact aesthetic he wanted to portray. And Patrick was happy to let him. He knew David had a vision, and honestly, he wouldn’t have expected anything less. Occasionally David would look up and glance over to him, asking for his opinion, but mostly looking for Patrick to affirm the choice he was already making.

But when David first mentioned wanting to go somewhere tropical for their honeymoon, Patrick’s ears perked up. He was happy to let David plan their entire wedding, but he wanted to be in charge of the honeymoon. And not only because he knew he’d have an easier time staying on budget than David would.

“Come on, David. You’re getting full decision making rights for our entire wedding. Let me do this.”

“And where would we go?”

“I don’t know. Where would you want to go?”

David sat for a moment, contemplating. “The Maldives.”

“Okay…” Patrick grabbed his laptop from off the coffee table and sat sideways on the couch, opening it up on his lap. After ten minutes of searching, pricing, and pulling out his calculator he turned back to where David sat at the kitchen table. “So where else would you want to go?” David looked up, pouting slightly. Patrick sighed and walked over to him. “I’m sorry David, but we can’t afford the Maldives. Not even the cheapest place there. And I’d like to actually _enjoy_ our honeymoon. Have the ability to go to some nice dinners, spend more than a night somewhere.”

David pouted for a moment longer but turned in his seat, letting Patrick slot himself between David’s knees, his hands falling onto David’s shoulders. David looked up at him, his fingers hooking into the belt loops on Patrick’s jeans. “Okay… fine. I _suppose_ we can go somewhere else. I would still like a beach though.”

“What about Cancun.”

“You do know Mexico is where Ted went after his failed engagement with my sister.”

“I do know that. I can only promise you we won’t go to the same resort. And no one will be forced to go dirt biking.”

David conceded to his defeat and Patrick created a new spreadsheet.

*****

For the most part, David stayed out of the planning. Occasionally he would peek his head over Patrick’s shoulder as he was browsing different hotels and resorts, only for Patrick to quickly shut the computer once he noticed.

“David. You’re supposed to be _trusting_ me to do this.”

“I am!”

“Then stop trying to look.”

“But _why_ does it have to be a surprise? You know I hate surprises.”

“It’s a surprise for _now_. I’m still researching. I promise not to make any definite non-refundable plans until I check with you. Okay?” David nodded solemnly. “Good. Now leave me alone.” David scoffed and stomped away.

*****

They had made the decision together to hold off on their honeymoon until some time had passed. Planning and executing a wedding with only a few months’ notice was enough stress. Adding to that the Rosebud expansion, which meant an influx in orders for the store, as well as David’s entire family moving away and the purchase of a new house, they both agreed that it would be more enjoyable to go after things had settled.

When Patrick suggested May, after consulting their personal calendars as well as the event calendar for the store, David paused for only a moment before agreeing. It was still within their first year of marriage but far enough away to not be stressful.

Patrick began to plan in earnest two weeks after their wedding. With the paperwork for their house finalized and both Mr. and Mrs. Rose and Alexis having left, things felt considerably calmer than they had a few weeks prior. He was almost at the stage where he was going to start booking when he woke up one night, a faint sniffling noise echoing around their apartment in the dark.

He reached to his left, expecting to find David, only to find empty sheets, cold from having been empty for a while. He sat up in bed fully, and looked around the small apartment. There, on the couch in the dark, sat David. Patrick slipped out of bed and padded over to him, sitting down next to his crying husband, and placed an arm over his shoulders, pulling David to him.

“This is so stupid.” David’s voice was thick with emotion. Patrick placed a kiss to the top of his head and pulled him tighter. “We used to be apart all the time.”

“Yeah, but it’s different now. You know what it’s like to be together. Of course being apart is going to be harder.” David nodded, shifting down to lay his head in Patrick’s lap. Patrick sat back, letting his fingers card through David’s hair. “We’ll see them at Christmas.”

“I know.” David’s voice was quiet, small.

“What if… What if we go to LA? For a visit?”

David sat up and looked at him. “When?”

Patrick took a breath, thinking for a moment. “What if we add a couple of days to our honeymoon. Start it by going to LA for the weekend? Visit your parents?”

“Really?” Patrick nodded. “Can we afford that?”

“I can make it work.”

“And you… you’d want to do that?”

“Sure.” Patrick shrugged. “I’ve never been.”

“I lived there. For a few years. In my twenties.” Patrick nodded, his hand back in David’s hair, brushing the strands along the side of his temple. “I think… That’d be really nice.” He smiled at Patrick, reaching up to wipe the tears from his face. “It won’t be too hard to change flights?”

“I haven’t booked any yet. I told you, I won’t book anything without consulting you first.”

David leaned forward and kissed him softly. “Thank you.”

“Anytime. Can we go back to bed now? I’ve gotta be up early to meet Janet’s delivery at the store.” David nodded and let his husband lead him back to bed.

*****

As planning continued and May crept closer, Patrick began to show David final plans, getting his consent before clicking “book now”.

The flights were the easiest. Though Patrick had to remind David that they were going to have to fly coach, he promised to splurge for just above Basic Economy, guaranteeing they would be seated together and David could have the window seat, saving him from the horror of a middle seat. But the LA leg of their trip required a little more involvement from David.

“David. I need help.”

“No, those hiking boots are not appropriate for in the house. And yes, I will be throwing them out.”

“What? No! I’m trying to book… what’s wrong with my boots?”

“So many things.”

Patrick shook his head and refocused on the screen in front of him where he sat at the kitchen table. “No. I am trying to book a hotel for LA.”

“Oh.” David moved from his place at the island and slid onto the bench next to Patrick. Of all the purchases they had made for the house, the comfy table that nestled perfectly into the bay window in their kitchen was one of David’s favorites, if only for the reason that it let them sit like this whenever they wanted.

“I have it narrowed down to a few places in a few different neighborhoods but I don’t know LA and you do.”

David nodded and turned Patrick’s laptop towards himself. He looked over the list in front of him, frowning slightly. “These are terrible choices.”

“David.”

“I gave you a list of all great hotels, why aren’t any of them on here?” Patrick looked blankly at his husband. “What?”

“David. All of those hotels were way too expensive. This is only _part_ of our trip, I don’t want to blow the whole budget on the three nights we are spending in LA.”

David grumbled under his breath.

“If you compromise and let me pick a cheaper hotel in LA… _Cheaper_ not cheap…” He raised his voice slightly over the sounds of David beginning to protest. “We can spend a little more on the rest of the trip.”

David sighed. “Okay fine.” He pulled the laptop towards him fully and began clicking the links in Patrick’s spreadsheet. “We’re not staying in Silver Lake. Or Echo Park. The restaurants are good but I _cannot_ be surrounded by that many hipsters. Even for only three days.” He continued to click through. “This one is in downtown. Are you insane? Do you know how long it would take us to get _anywhere_ if we were all the way in downtown?”

“It’s less than twenty five miles from downtown to the Santa Monica Pier.” It was one of the places on Patrick’s list of things to see in LA. “That should only take, what, twenty minutes?”

David looked at Patrick fondly, if not a little mockingly. “Twenty minutes? That’s so cute.” He patted Patrick’s cheek affectionately. “No. On a good day it’s closer to forty. On a regular day? You’re looking at _at least_ an hour. And it’s not uncommon for it to take closer to two hours given the construction, accidents, general stupidity of people.” He checked the different reasons off on his fingers. “Besides, downtown LA isn’t like New York. It’s not where all the good stuff happens.”

“Okay. Then what do you suggest?”

“You don’t have any hotels for the valley.”

“I thought the valley was bad?”

David cocked his head towards him, frowning slightly. “Sure, if you’re basing it solely off a few viewings of _Clueless_ and Jeremey Sisto insisting he doesn’t cross Sunset. Parts of the valley are actually pretty nice. Plus my parents live there, so we’ll be closer to them.”

Patrick sat for a moment and realized he had no idea what part of LA his in-laws had moved to. Whenever they spoke about LA it was always in a generic sense rather than getting into the specifics of their neighborhood. “I guess I always assumed your mum would insist on moving to Beverly Hills.”

David nodded, typing out his own search on one of the discount hotel rental websites Patrick had bookmarked. “We had a house there, before. But I think… I think she wanted some distance from that. From the friends who stopped being friends when we lost everything. Plus my dad always loved the valley. He was never a fan of LA, always complained when he would have to go for something of my mom’s. He says the valley makes LA ‘bearable’.” He paused for a moment, reading information for the hotel that he had found. “Plus Sherman Oaks is the expensive part of the valley, so it makes Mom feel a _little_ better.”

He turned the laptop back to Patrick. “What about this place?” Patrick frowned slightly, pulling the laptop towards him and began to look it over. “It’s near my parents, it’s new so we know it will be updated. And it’s certainly cheaper than my first choice.”

Patrick rolled his eyes. “The Four Seasons in _Paris_ was cheaper than your first choice.”

“I will not apologize for my impeccable taste.”

Patrick smirked as he calculated out a three day stay. “This could work.” He pulled up a map of the city and found the hotel. “As long as you’re good with the location…” He turned the laptop for David to see.

David nodded. “It’s like 5 minutes from my parents, that street there…” he pointed to a major street just below where the hotel sat. “That’s Ventura. Tons of restaurants and bars.” He shrugged. “Book it.”

Patrick nodded, smiling as he pulled out his wallet and began booking the room for them. “I still can’t get over the fact that your parents moved to the valley.”

David shrugged. “It’s like 10 minutes from where my mom is shooting _Sunrise Bay_. Which I think is what sold her on it. If there’s one thing I have learned from Moira Rose it’s that a short commute means you can sleep in.”

Patrick snorted a laugh as he finished putting in his credit card information. “Is that how you justify it?” David rolled his eyes and stood up from the table, walking away as Patrick continued to laugh.

*****

Three days before they were to leave, David found Patrick buried in the closet of their guest bedroom.

“Ummm… Whatcha doin’?”

Patrick took a step out of the closet and looked at David where he stood in the doorway. “I want to start packing.”

“Okay.”

“But this is the longest we are going to be gone together and I don’t think our small suitcase and the weekender bag is going to work.”

“No. It won’t.” Patrick frowned and turned back towards the closet. “What’s wrong?”

Patrick sighed, his hands falling to his hips. “I like sharing a bag with you.” His voice was quiet.

David moved over to where Patrick stood and slipped his hands through the gap left by Patrick’s arms and tightened them around his waist. He hooked his chin over Patrick’s shoulder and followed his gaze to the collection of luggage being stored in the closet. “That’s the sweetest, dorkiest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Patrick squirmed slightly, leaning back into David’s embrace. “It makes me feel… I don’t know. Married.”

“The ring, mortgage, and joint tax statements don’t make you feel that?”

Patrick rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”

David grinned, pressing his mouth into Patrick’s shoulder. “I do. And it’s cute. So why don’t we do one big bag that we’ll put all the Mexico stuff in and then our smaller carry-on bag for the LA days. That way we are only checking one bag, we still can each bring a personal item, and we won’t have to open the big suitcase while we’re in LA.” He hated how much he was getting used to flying coach and all the baggage logistics that it brought.

“I knew there was a reason I married you.” Patrick tilted his head to kiss David’s cheek before extracting himself to pull the two suitcases out.

“Mmm. For my impeccable taste and unwavering logic skills?”

“That. And you know how to pack a suitcase better than anyone I’ve ever met.”

“It’s a gift.” David grinned as they walked down the hall into their bedroom, Patrick placing both cases open on their bed. “Why are you packing now? It’s Wednesday. We don’t leave till Saturday.”

“David our flight leaves at six a.m. It’s an hour drive to the airport. And an international flight which means we have to be there at _least_ two hours early. Which pushes us back to leaving at three a.m.” David shuddered. “We’re leaving at two thirty by the way. I know us.”

David made a whining sound and flopped down onto an open section of the bed. “ _Ew._ ”

“Exactly. I don’t want to do any packing Friday night. We’re staying late at the store that night to make sure everything is set for Maggie for the week. So that leaves tonight and tomorrow night to pack.”

David sighed, exasperatedly, and stood. “You know I’d be a lot more willing to start packing if you’d share with me the Mexico details.”

“David…”

“Come on. We’re leaving in three days. I need to know what to pack.”

“We’re going to the beach just… pack beach stuff.” David crossed his arms and stared at his husband. “Okay fine. But just remember, everything is paid for already.” Patrick walked over to his nightstand and pulled out a folder. He reached in and extracted a print out, handing it over to David.

David took it and began reading through the information. The resort was… well it was awful. The rooms were painted a gaudy pink and teal, with fake tropical plants on every available surface. Wicker furniture stood in the room, the bathroom looked smaller than the ones at the Rosebud, and it looked like the extent of the ‘amenities’ was a ceiling fan. David swallowed thickly as he looked at the little map in the corner. The hotel was at least a mile from the beach.

“Well. This… This looks… Um… I think this will be…” His hands were moving of their own volition as he struggled desperately to not freak out. He had promised Patrick he would trust him in booking their honeymoon. When Patrick had promised to run all decisions by him before hitting ‘book now’, David had been grateful, and so relieved with the other choices he had made, that when Patrick offered to show him the resort in Cancun, David had shrugged him off with an “I trust you”. A moment he was now deeply regretting.

Still struggling to find a way to describe this hotel, David looked up to see Patrick staring at him, his face completely neutral. But there was something in his eyes. “You’re fucking with me.” David deadpanned, as he dropped his hands as a smile bloomed across Patrick’s face. “ _Mean_.”

Patrick burst into laughter. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.”

“Can I see the _real_ place now? Please?” David watched as Patrick pulled out a stack of neatly stapled papers and held them out for him. David crumpled up the offending hotel information and threw it at Patrick, hitting him square in the chest as he grabbed the other papers.

“Rude, David.” Patrick responded, a perfect imitation of Alexis.

David ignored him as he sat back on the bed and flipped through. “This looks… this looks really nice.”

Patrick nodded as he walked over to him and leaned against the bed and into David’s space slightly. “There’s a spa. Three pools. Cabanas on the sand. Plus, multiple restaurants. And it’s adults only so no kids.” David hummed happily. “I booked us a dinner at The Chef’s Plate, so you need to pack a suit.” David arched an eyebrow at him. “No tie, but they require…” he flipped the page to a FAQ section. “Elegant evening wear.”

David looked over everything before him before looking up at Patrick. “Okay. How can we afford this?” He held the packet of papers up and swirled a hand over it. “This seems like… Well out of our budget. I know you’re good at finding deals but…”

Patrick fidgeted slightly. “Well, you know, I’ve been saving for this for a while. Since I knew I wanted to marry you.” David nodded. “And we’re doing this nine months after our wedding so, that made it easier.” David nodded again, looking at him skeptically. “Okay. And… Let’s just say I… _withheld_ the actual amount of money my parents gave us for the wedding? I may have kept some of it specifically for this.”

David starred at him for a moment. “Are you telling me, we had enough to get a tent and _not_ get married in the town hall?” His voice had risen an octave.

“Ummmm… Let’s go with no.”

“Patrick! What the hell?!” His voice was even higher now.

“Might I remind you what happened on our wedding day?”

David paused. He pressed his lips together between his teeth for a moment. “Call it even?”

“Deal.” Patrick smirked, leaning over to kiss David lightly before he walked over to his closet, starting to pull items together. “Besides, it worked out in the end, didn’t it?”

“I don’t know. Ask me again in two weeks.”

*****

Their flight, despite being at an ungodly hour according to David, was relatively uneventful. It helped that now that Patrick had shared with him all of the information about the Mexico part of their trip, he could easily distract himself by looking over the hotel information and planning what he wanted to do there.

Somewhere over Nebraska, or maybe it was Colorado, David paused on a page in the packet and leaned over to scratch at Patrick’s arm gently. “Hey.”

“Hmmm?” Patrick looked up from the novel he was reading.

“Are you going to make me do a bunch of outdoor activities?” He held up the “things to do” page.

“Depends.”

“On?”

“On if you’re going to get mad at me if I want to take a few hours and go do them without you.”

“Can I sit on the beach and read while you do?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then, have fun.” Patrick grinned at him, leaning over to kiss his cheek before they both returned to their reading, David making small notes in the packet as he went.

Several hours later David found himself following Patrick down a quiet, soothingly grey toned hallway into their hotel room. He had been right; the hotel was extremely new and very updated. The room itself wasn’t huge, but it was only for a few days and their time in LA was relatively planned out. They weren’t going to be spending a whole lot of time lying about in their hotel room. He placed the roller bag in his hands on the luggage rack as Patrick stowed their bigger bag in the closet. David sighed, before collapsing on top of the bed, smiling slightly as he sunk into the high-end linens.

Oh yeah, definitely the right choice.

He was just about to suggest to Patrick that they call his parents when there was a knock at the door. David looked over at Patrick, his eyebrow quirked questioningly. “I don’t know.” Patrick responded, waiving towards the door. “Only one way to find out.”

David stood and walked towards the door, looking back at his husband who had a small, amused grin on his face. David was about to question it when he opened the door and a flurry of blonde came flying at him. “David!”

David staggered back as his sister launched into his arms. He recovered quickly, wrapping his arms tight around her waist. “Alexis! What are you doing here?”

Alexis grinned as David let her go, moving aside to allow her to step fully into the room. “Oh, you know. Just stopped by to say hi.”

She skipped over to where Patrick stood, a smile threatening to break his face his half. She hugged him tightly before moving to his side, keeping an arm around his shoulders as he gripped her with one arm at the waist.

David stared at the two of them for a moment before pointing at Patrick. “This was you.”

Patrick shrugged as Alexis continued to smile. “I _may_ have mentioned to Patrick that I was going to be in LA this past week for work and he _may_ have suggested I extend my visit for a few more days.”

Patrick grinned at her side. “Couldn’t resist having all the Roses in one place again.”

David frowned slightly, fondly. “Thank you.”

Patrick leaned forward and kissed him gently. “Any time.”

Alexis clapped with glee before collapsing on the end of the bed. “Oh, yay David! This is going to be so much fun! We’re meeting Mom and Dad for dinner in a few hours and then… you know what tonight is!”

“Saturday?” Patrick asked cautiously.

“That’s right.” Alexis grinned salaciously before turning to David. “Saturday. In the valley.”

“Oil Can Harry’s.” David realized, a smile spreading across his face.

“Oil. Can. Harry’s!” Alexis clapped again.

“Am I missing something? What’s Oil Can Harry’s?” Patrick looked between the two siblings confused.

“It’s a gay bar just down the street.” David explained. “And Saturday night is disco night. Without question, the best of the nights.”

“So you want to go out to dinner with your parents and then to a gay bar?”

David and Alexis both nodded enthusiastically. “We could make it _real_ fun and stop by SweetFlower on the way.” Alexis added casually.

“Ooh. I need to stop there anyways. I promised Stevie. Though we should definitely take a Lyft if we’re going to do that.”

“Obviously, David. I’m not stupid.”

“Does anyone want to fill me in?” Patrick raised his voice slightly to be heard by the plotting Roses.

“Oh, sorry. SweetFlower is a dispensary nearby. I promised Stevie I’d pick her up some quality edibles while we’re here, since according to her the only thing California has going for it is its superior weed. Alexis is just suggesting we partake ourselves before we go dancing. But we won’t do anything you’re not comfortable with.” He ran a hand soothingly up and down Patrick’s arm.

“The only thing I’m not comfortable with is taking edibles with us to Mexico.”

David shook his head. “Nah. Alexis is going to take them back with her to New York and Stevie can pick them up there in two weeks when she goes for her meeting.”

“I am? Since when?”

“Since now.”

Alexis rolled her eyes and flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Fine.” She shifted on the bed slightly, pulling her dress down where it had raised up in her excitement. “So how does it feel being back in LA, David?”

“Well, we’ve been here for about three hours and so far I’ve seen LAX, the car rental place, and the 405. So… annoyed. I feel annoyed. I swear they were working on that section of the 405 when I lived here in 2008. How is it still under construction?”

“Only in LA can a single piece of freeway need over a decade of work.” Alexis grinned.

*****

Patrick looked around at the four people he was having dinner with and smiled. He tried to remember a time when the five of them had all had dinner back in Schitt’s Creek, before everyone had made massive changes to their lives. Back when David was just his boyfriend, or his fiancé. Back before Alexis was running around Manhattan and Mrs. Rose was back on television. He wasn’t sure it had ever happened before he and David had gotten married and now, observing the four Roses together, Patrick realized what a missed opportunity it had been.

Mrs. Rose was several minutes deep into a story about Nicole Kidman and their time on set, Alexis jumping in every now and again to offer insight from “a PR perspective” while David rolled his eyes so often Patrick was afraid he was going to hurt himself, and Mr. Rose simply listened politely.

They were nearing the end of their meal, coffees and desserts having been ordered. Patrick hadn’t been sure what to expect from a restaurant that offered both truffle mushroom pasta and a terrifying burger dish called “the defibrillator”, but everything had been tasty and the company had been exceptional.

“Well, kids…” Mr. Rose held up his glass, signaling that they should all do the same. “I am so thankful that you all are here right now. Alexis, it has been absolutely lovely having you in town this past week. And David, Patrick, we are so glad you boys decided to stop in LA on your way to your honeymoon. I only wish Stevie could have been here as well, but I suppose one of us should be working.”

“Would we call what she does _work_?” David asked quietly, his voice raised slightly, earning a nudge and a smile from Patrick.

“Anyways.” Mr. Rose continued. “To having us all back together again, if only for a few nights.” He raised his glass and the rest followed suit, taking a sip from their own glasses at his toast.

“And what do you all have planned for your festivities tomorrow?” Moira questioned, looking at the three younger members of their small dinner party. “I assume a rousing day of rubbernecking and procuring in the more illustrious parts of town?” She took a sip from her cocktail. “I myself am inundated with fittings for my _Sunrise Bay_ regalia or else I would absolutely join you on your sojourn to the shops.”

Patrick blinked for a moment, forgetting what it was like to carry on a conversation with his mother-in-law, before clearing his throat. “Actually, David has plans tomorrow.”

David turned in shock to his husband. “I do?”

“We do!” Alexis exclaimed. “We have _spa_ appointments tomorrow, David. You. Me. Manis. Pedis. Facials.” She pulled out her phone and handed it to David, an email showing their appointment confirmations pulled up on the screen. “My treat.”

David blinked at his sister. “Wow. Um… Thank you, Alexis.” He scrolled through the email for a moment before he realized something and looked over to Patrick. “Wait, did you plan this with her?” He handed Alexis back her phone, not taking his eyes off of Patrick.

“Yeah. When she agreed to stick around for a few extra days. I figured you’d enjoy spending the time with her.” He shrugged. “I’ll find something to do, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

David shook his head and turned back towards Alexis. “You have not lost your touch. Seriously, Alexis, I am impressed.” She grinned at him, dancing slightly in her seat.

“What?” David turned back to Patrick, holding his hand out towards Alexis. As though from mid-air a pair of tickets landed in David’s hand. He passed them over to Patrick, a smile on his face. Patrick took them and looked them over before looking back at David, grinning. “Seriously?”

“Yup. Tomorrow. You and my dad. Hope you don’t mind it’s with him and not me. But this is not one of our previously agreed upon stadiums. Figured you wouldn’t mind.” He smiled softly. “Alexis helped me plan it.”

“Happy belated birthday, Patrick.” Alexis grinned.

“What are we missing?” Mr. Rose spoke up, pulling the three kids out of their own little bubble.

“Oh, sorry, Dad.” Alexis smiled at him. “Tomorrow. You and Patrick are going to the Dodgers/Blue Jay game at one while David and I have a spa day. And then I made reservations for us all at C&O.” David’s eyes lit up at the new information. “And yes David, they still have endless garlic knots.”

“You say that like you didn’t eat twenty of them the last time we were there.”

“Whatever, David.”

Mr. Rose looked down at the tickets Patrick had handed to him. “Wow, kids. This is very nice. Sure you don’t mind missing out, Moira?” He glanced over at his wife who shook her head, waving a hand dismissively through the air.

“Not at all, John. You boys enjoy your little excursion into America’s pastime and we shall all meet for a delightful fare at one of our family’s most treasured restaurants.”

“Well.” Mr. Rose smiled, rubbing his hands together. “Can’t really argue with that, now can we?”

*****

David woke up in the warm cocoon of comfortable linens and his husband. He stretched slightly, burrowing deeper into Patrick’s chest, pulling a soft sound from his sleeping husband. If David had been more awake, he would have teased Patrick for practically purring as David snuggled closer.

They both woke slowly, reluctant to unwrap themselves from each other. They had stayed out late the night before, dancing with Alexis at Oil Can Harry’s, delightfully buzzed from a couple of gummies they had snagged when they had stopped for treats for Stevie.

Patrick had never been to a gay bar before and Oil Can Harry’s hadn’t disappointed. The drinks were delicious, if not slightly more than he was used to paying for. And the repertoire of disco music to meet the night’s theme had been endlessly fun. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen David so relaxed, so at ease. And not just from the gummy.

That had been a different experience as well. Patrick wasn’t a novice to getting high with David, by any means. He had occasionally joined Stevie and him when they would smoke and watch bad movies back home. But they had always shared a joint. He wasn’t used to the world of edibles. The gummy had tasted like pink lemonade and felt weird to Patrick, like eating the fruit snacks Marcy used to pack him for him in his lunches. But no fruit snack he had ever had left him feeling quite so good an hour later.

They had enjoyed the high, dancing late into the night, before finding their way back to the hotel. Not wanting to waste the buzz, David had taken him apart slowly, luxuriating in the way every nerve ending seemed to be on fire. They fell asleep after, happy, content, and exhausted.

Patrick had set an alarm before they had gone into the club that night, knowing that they would need to get up for their planned activities. They both groaned slightly as it went off, Patrick rolling away to turn it off, checking the time. They had a few hours before Alexis and Mr. Rose were set to pick them each up, but he knew they would be slow to rise.

Patrick turned back to David and began to run his hand up and down his spine slowly. They didn’t often sleep curled into each other, and slept without pajamas even more infrequently, David ran too cold to sleep naked, but last night they had been too exhausted to do much more than shower briefly and collapse into the sheets.

He pulled back now, stretching and dislodging a protesting David from his arms. “I know, but we both need to get up and get ready.” David groaned in protest again but sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Last night was fun.”

David grinned, turning towards him. “Mmmm. Which part?”

Patrick smiled at him. “All of it. Dinner. The bar. After. All of it. Definitely a good start to our honeymoon.”

David smiled, sinking down into the sheets slightly. “I was so wrapped up in being around my family I forgot we’re technically on our honeymoon.” He leaned forward and kissed Patrick slowly. “Now I’m really glad I did that thing with my tongue last night.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Patrick, laughing softly when a soft blush began to creep up Patrick’s face.

“Me too.” He captured David’s mouth again against his, letting himself get lost in the kiss before pulling back, running his hand through David’s hair. “But now we have to get up. You and Alexis have a big day.”

David smiled dreamily. “Mmm. Spa day at the Reg Bev Wil. Living my very best Vivian Ward fantasy.”

“Long as that’s the only part of that movie you recreate.” Patrick smirked as he climbed out of the bed, heading towards the bathroom to turn the shower on.

“Don’t worry, honey.” He followed Patrick into the bathroom, sticking his hand under the spray to test the temperature. “You’re the only one I’m looking to score with tonight.” He pulled Patrick with him into the shower, stepping under the spray. “And it won’t even cost you $300, let alone $3,000.”

*****

David leaned back into the soft salon chair and sighed. He closed his eyes and let the warmth from the wax around his hands seep into every aspect of himself as the polite, but quiet, woman sat by his feet and finished his pedicure.

To his right, Alexis sat in the same position, hands in strange mittens allowing the paraffin wax to soften the skin of her hands while a polite, quiet woman sat by her feet, carefully applying the pale pink polish she had chosen. While David was not adverse, or a novice, when it came to wearing colored polish on his nails, he had decided upon the neutral clear coat look, if only to avoid any clashes with the outfits he had chosen for the rest of their honeymoon in Cancun.

It had been one of the most relaxing afternoons that David had ever spent, and to have done so with Alexis was a real treat. He loved spending time with Patrick, more than anything, but Patrick never really appreciated a spa day. He was always just a little bit uncomfortable with a stranger touching him, which David didn’t understand, but accepted. Alexis, however, knew how to appreciate a day of pampering. He could remember fondly, days spent together during their childhood, when Johnny and Moira were away, where David would pack Alexis up in their chauffeured vehicle and whisk his little sister to a day of facials, mani/pedis, massages, and blow outs. Anything he could think of to distract his beautiful little sister from the sadness of missing their parents.

There was a different joy to it now. It wasn’t a distraction from their lonely lives anymore, but rather a wonderful celebration of their successes. He turned towards his sister now and smiled, it was truly amazing how far they had come from the sad little children, clinging to each other for affection.

“Are you sure you can afford all this?” David murmured, as Alexis turned towards him and blinked her eyes open. “First the facials and now all this?” He lifted his covered hands slightly. “This can’t be cheap, Alexis.”

“Relax, David. I did some work for one of the actors in those creepy doll horror movies a few months back. They were so thrilled with the coverage I got them that they gave me a gift card that’s covering most of this. Plus, this is absolutely counting as your birthday present. So… Don’t expect anything from me then.”

David snorted a laugh as he relaxed more. “If I close my eyes…”

Alexis smiled, knowingly. “I know. It’s like it used to be.”

“Still. I think I prefer now to then.”

“Well sure. Now has Patrick. Then? Not so much.” David grinned at his sister. “Yeah yeah yeah. Your marriage is great. Blah blah. So gross, David.”

“Mmm. Suck on a drain pipe, Alexis.” She smiled, closing her eyes as well as they enjoyed their last moments of pampering.

They stepped out into the sun a while later and David immediately pulled on his sunglasses, shielding his eye from the bright California sun.

“Ugh. It’s far too sunny here. I always hated that when I lived here. Try having a season, LA. You might enjoy it.”

The Rose siblings linked arms and began to make their way up the street. They weren’t meeting Patrick and their parents for a few more hours and despite the extra time needed in LA traffic, they had about an hour to kill before they needed to start heading to the restaurant.

They crossed over Wilshire Blvd and began a slow meandering pace up Rodeo, pausing periodically to gaze into the shops. After pausing for a long moment to stare at a particularly gorgeous jacket at Dolce & Gabbana, they continued on. Alexis was just about to comment about a dress hanging in the window of Balenciaga when David burst into laughter.

“What, David.”

David smirked, attempting to control his face, and forced his sister to look across the street. “You really do leave your mark everywhere you go, don’t you?”

Alexis glared at him. “There’s no proof that it’s because of me.”

“I don’t know, Alexis. You drive your car through the front of the Prada store and now there’s a cement barricade at the edge of the sidewalk? Seems like a pretty easy correlation.”

“Ugh. Fuck off, David!” Alexis spat out before stomping away up the street. David followed quickly behind her, desperately trying, and failing, to stop his laughter.

*****

Across town, Patrick was attempting to balance two beers, two hotdogs, a bag of popcorn, and a tray of nachos down the stairs of the stadium without dropping anything. Sliding into the row he inched across slowly, praying everyone moved quickly lest they get drenched in beer and cheese, before heaving a great sigh of relief as he sat back down next to Mr. Rose.

He handed off half of his purchases to Mr. Rose before shifting in his seat, getting comfortable again. They weren’t field level, but they were only one level up, along the first baseline. All in all, he was incredibly impressed with David and Alexis’s choice for seats. They wouldn’t have been his first choice in people to choose a stadium seat for him, but sitting here, the whole field on display without being too far away, he was starting to believe he needed to give them more credit.

Patrick had been worried about spending so much time alone with his father-in-law. The ride over had been fairly awkward. Though the two of them got along well, Patrick hadn’t really spent a ton of time alone with Mr. Rose. And the last time he had, they had ended up having to go pick up a very drunk David and Mrs. Rose at the winery.

But as the two had settled into their seats, and the game had gotten into full swing, the conversations seemed easier. Mr. Rose asked about the store and the different people around town that he hadn’t had a chance to catch up with lately. Patrick asked about the Rosebud Group, and how Mr. Rose was enjoying being back in Los Angeles. Mr. Rose told him about being a studio widow, the television version of being a theater widow as so many Broadway spouses joked about. 

As the two finished their beers, their snacks having been long ago eaten, and the game entered the 8th inning, Patrick found himself sitting in comfortable silence. He had gotten along well with Rachel’s father, but that had been a relationship he had been working on since he was 15. And he had always felt like he was talking to an authority figure every time they had been alone. Rachel’s father was a nice man, but an intimidating one when he wanted to be. Mr. Rose gave off a much different vibe. At times over the course of the game, Patrick almost felt like he was talking to his own father.

“You know, Patrick…” Patrick shifted in his seat to look at Mr. Rose slightly, sensing a more serious tone that he had used all day. “I love my son dearly. David is… David is a unique soul. He’s so much like Moira in that way. He never did anything if he thought it was what was expected of him. Even as a child, he walked his own path in life. His mother and I didn’t always understand it, well… _I_ didn’t always understand it. But David always knew what he wanted. And I won’t pretend that I wasn’t concerned at first, and for a while, about the two of you.”

Patrick quirked his eyebrows at Mr. Rose, but sat silently waiting for him to continue.

“To mix a personal relationship into your business relationship, well… those rarely work out well. And I know not everything has been perfectly smooth sailing between you two…” Patrick swallowed. Until the day he died he would never forget the look on Mr. Rose’s face when Patrick had walked out of David’s room to Rachel standing near the Roses waiting for answers. And he knew that Mr. Rose would never forget either.

“But the two of you, you really make it work. I have never seen David so… at ease with himself than he is when he’s with you. And I don’t worry about him nearly as much as I used to, because I know you’ll be there to take care of him.”

Patrick smiled and nodded slowly. “Always. I meant what I said to you, before David and I got married, Mr. Rose. I will do everything I can to protect him from all the things that set him off. For the rest of my life, I will spend every day protecting your son, Mr. Rose. I promise.”

Mr. Rose nodded his head and smiled brightly at his son-in-law. “I know you will, son. I know you will.” He regarded him for a moment before he clapped a hand on Patrick’s shoulder and turned back to the game. “You’ve been married to my son for almost a year now, Patrick.” Patrick nodded. “Don’t you think it’s time you started calling me Johnny?”

Patrick couldn’t have stopped the grin that took over his face if he tried.

*****

Patrick found himself unable to stop smiling as he and Johnny parked the car at the beach and began to make their way up to the restaurant. He was thankful David had suggested bringing a change of clothing. Though the restaurant itself was more casual, the close proximity to the beach meant a much cooler temperature than it had been at Dodger Stadium. The jeans and light sweater, an outfit he didn’t even know David had packed for him, were a welcome comfort against the chilly night.

They walked up the sidewalk, passing several other restaurants along the way, spying David and Alexis further up the street, sitting on a bench as they patiently waited. Moira was set to join them, though had texted Johnny that she was running a bit behind and to get a table without her.

As they neared David and Alexis, the siblings stood, Alexis moving to tell the hostess that most of their party had arrived while Patrick found himself drawn to David’s side. He slipped an arm around David’s waist, and kissed him lightly. “Hi.”

“Hi.” David grinned, leaning into him. “Did we have fun watching the baseball?”

“We did.” Patrick smiled, his hand running softly along David’s lower back. “We lost, but Johnny and I had a good time.” David raised an eyebrow at use of his father’s first name. Patrick simply smiled. “What about you? Hope you didn’t burn yourself out on spa services so you can still enjoy the ones at the resort.”

David scoffed. “No such thing as _burning out on spa services_. If a day ever comes where I _don’t_ want a spa day, please call a funeral home because I’m obviously dying.”

Patrick laughed and glanced up in time to see Johnny and Alexis beckoning them forward. They stepped into the restaurant, only to find themselves still outdoors. Or at least mostly. Four walls surrounded a patio area that was filled with several fountains, warm heat lamps and string lights draped over the open roof. They were led to a table towards the back and as they passed, Patrick glanced at the stucco walls surrounding them, painted to look like a Tuscan garden. He took a seat next to David and glanced down at the menu. They had a little more time to kill before Moira’s arrival, which to David meant time to drink.

David ordered them all glasses of the house chianti (“trust me. It’s delicious.”) and insisted on an olive tapenade to go with the garlic knots that would find their way to the table shortly. Patrick looked down at the menu and was suddenly thankful that his mother-in-law was running late. He was going to need at least half an hour to figure out what to order.

David, recognizing the overwhelmed look on his face, leaned over and spoke quietly in his ear. “Literally every dish on this menu is amazing, but I think you’d particularly enjoy the lasagna bolognese, the chicken parmigiana, or the pappardelle with the short ribs.” He dropped a kiss to Patrick’s shoulder. “I’m getting the Farfalle Genovese and if you’re _very_ nice to me, I’ll even let you have some.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Patrick, pulling the desired smile and laugh from Patrick.

“Wow. Willing to share food. Italian food, nonetheless. I feel like I should alert the papers.”

“ _Okay_. I take it back. You order whatever you want and stay away from my plate.” He threw Patrick a look before turning back to his menu.

Patrick smirked, picked up the glass of wine that had been placed in front of him and took a sip. “What if I promise to distract Alexis every time they refill the garlic knots until you’ve grabbed some?”

David turned to him, contemplating the offer before him. “See. This is why we make such a good team.”

“Because we know each other so well?”

“Mmm, sure. That. _And_ because you’re willing to battle Alexis if it means more carbs for me.”

*****

David woke up to find himself alone. He paused for a moment, an arm outstretched to where Patrick normally would be, listening. He could hear the shower running and sighed. Yesterday had been a day of extreme highs and lows. He had loved spending the day with his sister, but as they all parted after dinner, reality had hit him. Alexis went straight from the restaurant to the airport to catch a red-eye flight back to New York, Moira had an early call time, and a 12-hour day, while Johnny was catching a flight out at 11am to meet Stevie in a small town outside of Seattle to take a look at a property.

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. It was their last day in Los Angeles, a day that he and Patrick would be spending on their own before heading to Cancun in the morning. He was excited, thrilled even, to be spending the next six days alone with his husband, but being thoroughly ensconced in the Roses for two whole days had given him wistful feelings.

The shower turned off and a minute later Patrick emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. “Oh good, you’re up.” David hummed noncommittally. “Come on, I thought we were going to spend the day driving around LA. Seeing all your favorite places.”

“All the places we can fit in on a single day, not necessarily my favorite places. I’m throwing in a few tourist traps just for you.” David smirked, sinking into the pillows as Patrick pulled out clothes for the day. “We don’t have time for The Getty, or LACMA, or the Tar Pits, or Disneyland. The Huntington Gardens. Santa Barbara. Drag Bingo at Hamburger Mary’s. That weird hot sauce shop at The Farmer’s Market. And we can’t afford dinner at Spaggo. Or Maestro’s. Or the Ocean Club. Nobu. Ugh or Geoffrey’s.”

Patrick had paused in the process of getting dressed to watch David as his eyes drifted shut midway through his list of things he wished they could be doing. He watched him, a small smile playing across his face, and let David drift through whatever memory he was seemed to be in the midst of for a moment. “Well, I guess that means we’ll have to come back.” David opened his eyes and looked at Patrick. “Maybe make it an annual thing. All of us here. Including Alexis.”

David’s smile grew as he sat up and made his way to the end of the bed, pulling Patrick between his knees to kiss him softly. “I’d love that.”

“But for now, you need to get up and get in the shower so we can get going, mon petit chou.”

David wrinkled his nose at Patrick as he stood, his hands on Patrick’s shoulders. “Are you aware of what that means?”

“Yes I am.”

“And you’re comfortable calling your husband a cabbage?”

“Technically I called you my _little_ cabbage.”

“I honestly question how we ever got together sometimes.” David rolled his eyes, walking towards the bathroom as Patrick laughed.

*****

They spent the day driving around the city, David taking Patrick to all of the places he knew his little tourist heart would find thrilling, no matter how much David tried to lower his expectations at every stop.

They started in Santa Monica, David dealing with the crowds on the pier but absolutely refusing to go down to Venice Beach. “It’s disgusting, Patrick. The part that you’re thinking of? It's gross. And tacky. _This_ …” he gestured to the pier around them, “Is bad enough.”

He drove them into the heart of Hollywood, parking in a massive structure that allowed them to step right out onto Hollywood Boulevard. Keeping his hand tight in Patrick’s, he led them over to Grauman’s theater, winding their way around various groups of tourists, looking at all the cement hand and foot prints. Patrick marveled at Joan Crawford’s, “Look at how tiny her feet were.”

“Ugh imagine the damage to those heels. She probably never wore them again. What a loss.”

They moved back onto the sidewalk, walking a bit farther down the street and away from the majority of the crowd when Patrick looked down at the stars imbedded into the walkway. He paused for a moment, thinking about all the stories his mother use to tell him about the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“It’s just… a sidewalk. With stars.”

“Yes.”

“Well… this was anticlimactic.”

David laughed, wrapped his arm around Patrick’s shoulder and steered him down the sidewalk. “Welcome to Hollywood.”

They wove through the crowd, heading back towards the parking garage. They made their way back into the building they had exited from, a small upscale shopping center right in the middle of the boulevard, when David stopped them, looking up at a staircase.

All along the plush stairs were pillars lined with the names of the Academy Award Best Picture winners for every year. They were lit up in a simple font, just the title and the year, but stretched all along the stairs and down to the street.

“Okay. This is slightly more impressive.”

“Now imagine Julia Roberts, in that vintage Valentino dress, the train trailing up the stairs.” He lifted his free hand, letting it flutter upwards mimicking her movements. He sighed deeply before continuing them on back towards their rental car. “Plus that role. Fantastic. She was so sexy as Erin. And motorcycle riding Aaron Eckhart? Yes, please.” Patrick merely smiled.

They continued to wind their way through the city, stopping at a BBQ restaurant along La Brea. (“Trust me. It’s so good. The cornbread just falls apart in your mouth and the brisket is just… Just trust me.”) The entire time, Patrick was constantly being told to look out one window or another as David drove him past the landmark’s he had only read about.

“On your side is going to be Pink’s. I’d stop there, but the line gets so long this time of day and I am not in the mood to stand in the hot sun when we could be eating inside an actual restaurant.”

“You’re going to see a giant Kermit the Frog on my side in a minute. On top of a gate. The old Muppet Studio’s before Disney bought them. I met a friend for lunch there once and seriously considered stealing one of the Doozers inside the glass case at reception to give to Alexis for her birthday.”

“There’s the CNN tower, but we don’t talk about that.”

Eventually they made their way past the Chateau Marmont (“Dear God do I not miss passing out at the bar _there_ ”) and the Magic Castle (“Actually kind of fun. Next time we’re here we’ll have to have Alexis get one of her clients to get us in.”) and wound their way up Cahuenga heading back towards the valley and their hotel, before David suddenly veered over a bridge, and up a winding street. Patrick was about to question where they were going when David pulled off into a small parking lot and exited the car.

Patrick followed him, moving to stand next to David along the railing. David slipped his hand into Patrick’s and leaned against him. “So this might be my favorite spot in Los Angeles.”

Patrick leaned into him and let David speak.

“First of all, the view is amazing.” He pointed straight ahead where they could see straight down a freeway all the way to the tall buildings of downtown. The sun was partially set by now, and it gave the silver buildings a faint orange glow. He turned them slightly, pointing off to his left. “And you can view the Hollywood sign without the crowds. I’d take you to Griffith Park to see it, but I just don’t hate myself enough anymore to deal with _that_ crowd.”

Patrick squeezed his hand tightly as they turned back towards the view of downtown. They were silent for just a few moments when Patrick heard the faint sounds of an orchestra warming up. “What’s…?”

David grinned, pointing to the white dome below them. “This is the real reason I love it here. In the summers, you can hear the LA Philharmonic warming up before a concert. That’s the Hollywood Bowl.”

Patrick blinked at him for a moment before turning his head back to the direction of the sound. He could pick out people in their seats now, people walking along the steep amphitheater, preparing to spend their evening listening to a beautiful orchestra.

The two stood there for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of the orchestra warming up, enjoying each other’s company, leaning into one another’s embrace, as the sun started to set around them.

*****

As they entered the hotel lobby, David took a deep breath, letting the relief of being done with travel for the next six days wash over him. Between the early wake up to return the rental car, followed by a four and a half hour flight and then a car ride to the resort, plus a three hour time change, he was ready to be done. All he wanted was a drink, a bed, and his husband.

They walked up to the concierge desk as Patrick pulled out their information to ensure a quick check in. Knowing that Patrick was more than capable, and that David had no idea what their reservation number was, he wandered around the lobby, looking at the ornate tile work and intricate glass ceiling that covered the lobby. There was a sense of calm that washed over him as he stood there. He and Patrick were alone, for the next six days. No store, no Roland, no family drama, just the two of them and the beach. No matter what the rest of the trip turned out like, that was all he needed.

As he found his way back to Patrick, he grabbed a few informational sheets that were on display, zeroing in on the one that included the menus for all of the resort’s restaurants. He began to plot their meals and snack as he walked back to where Patrick was standing at the front desk.

Patrick glanced behind him as he stepped up to the front of the line and saw David meandering through the lobby. Knowing that David would find his way back to him eventually, he smiled at the young woman behind the desk and gave her his name and reservation number.

“Ah, here you are, Mr. Brewer.” Her fingers flew across the keyboard in front of her as she pulled up their information. “I see you’re here until Sunday, staying in one of our ocean front junior king suites.” Patrick nodded along. “And I see a note here…” she clicked away a bit more, “that you’re here celebrating your honeymoon! Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Patrick smiled softly, twisting his wedding ring around his finger.

“There’s actually a note here… It seems a Marcy Brewer has called ahead and added a spa services gift to your stay.” She handed Patrick a small folded card.

He opened it to find a quick note from his parents. _Happy Honeymoon! We love you!_ Patrick grinned down at the card. Leave it to Marcy and Clint Brewer to manage to pull a surprise even now.

“Are there any services in particular that I can help book now for you or your wife?”

Patrick laughed slightly as he felt David step up beside him, his head buried in a packet of hotel informational pamphlets. “I don’t know, let me ask my wife. David?”

“Hmmm?” David tilted his head up and looked over to Patrick, clearly having not heard a word that was spoken previously.

Patrick handed the card from his parents to David as he spoke. “My parents called ahead and paid for some spa services and…” he glanced at the young woman’s name tag, “Ylenia here would like to know if she can book anything for me and my wife.”

“Ooo!” David’s eyes lit up. “Yes please. Is there a menu available I can…” Ylenia slid one over to him sheepishly. “Thank you!”

“I’m so sorry…” The young woman began to apologize when David cut her off.

“Don’t be. He gives off a very ‘wife and three kids’ vibe.” David grinned as he looked over the menu of spa treatments. “Do you want to do a couple’s massage?” He asked Patrick as Ylenia moved to help another guest while they decided.

“Ehhh.”

“Eh?”

Patrick turned to him, leaning against the counter. “I don’t _love_ the idea of getting a massage from someone who knows we’re going to most likely have sex the minute they leave the room.”

“I mean, we don’t _have_ to…”

“No. I’d definitely want to. And I’m sure they’d be thinking that the whole time. I just don’t think I’d be able to enjoy it. Which would stress us both out. Kind of counteracts the whole purpose of a massage.”

“So do you not want us to…”

“No! No. I just think we’d both enjoy it more if we do them on our own.”

“Hmmm.” David pursed his lips between his teeth and looked down at the menu again. “Does that mean you’re fine if I take extra time at the spa then and get a scrub too?”

Patrick leaned forward and kissed David’s temple “Go nuts.”

David smiled as Ylenia came back over and they booked their services. “I like Honeymoon Patrick. He gives in to just about anything I want.” Patrick laughed as they finished checking in and were handed their room keys.

They made their way up the elevator and down the hall to their room, Patrick and their larger suitcase leading the way. As they stood outside their room David began to feel the exhaustion of the day setting in. He hoped to talk Patrick into an early dinner and crashing in their room that night. As much as he wanted to sit out on the beach, he also just wanted sleep.

He followed Patrick into the room, pushing their smaller suitcase in front of him as he attempted to fish his phone out of his travel bag. He had switched over to a chicer, smaller shoulder bag for this trip, but its deep dark depths were still prone to hiding his belongings just at the moment he needed them.

He was so preoccupied he practically slammed right into Patrick, where he stood at in the room. “Patrick, what the f-“ his exclamation was cut off as he looked at the room in front of him. “Holy _fuck_.”

David dropped his bag on the floor next to the suitcase as he took in the room around him. The giant king bed stood as the main focal point but he could see a small sitting area, a desk, and a double Jacuzzi tub near the balcony doors. He moved around Patrick to open the glass slider to the balcony and stepped out.

They were on one of the upper floors, shielding their room from anyone at the ground level and giving them a perfectly unobstructed view of the ocean. He stood leaning against the rails for a moment before he felt Patrick’s arms sliding around his waist. He leaned back into Patrick’s embrace, sighing deeply.

“They have swim up rooms, but they’re on the first floor and the pool is shared by multiple rooms. I figured you’d prefer the view.”

“You figured right.”

“So… glad you let me handle the honeymoon?”

David grinned, turning in Patrick’s arms to face him. “Honey, this is… you truly outdid yourself. This is amazing.” He leaned forward and kissed Patrick deeply. “Honestly. I’m not sure I could have planned it any better myself.”

Patrick smiled at the praise. “Well it’s not The Maldives…”

“Who needs The Maldives?” He shrugged, smiling. “I’ve got the beach. A view. A giant tub. And you. What more could I possibly need?”

“An early dinner followed by watching the sunset on our balcony and going to bed?”

“My _God_. You are perfect.”

*****

David woke up slowly, surrounded by a mountain of comfortable bedding. He stretched and found himself alone. He glanced over at the digital clock that sat on the nightstand and seeing that it was already past eight am, he wasn’t shocked to find himself alone. Even on vacation his husband was incapable of sleeping past eight am.

He sat up and looked around. Part of him expected to be alone in the suite, to find Patrick either gone to the gym or in the shower. He smiled when he saw him sitting on the balcony. He sat in one of the chairs, a book on his lap, a mug sitting on the small table next to him. He was still in the sleep pants and tee shirt he had put on the night before.

David stood and made his way over to the balcony doors. He stood for a moment, watching Patrick as he took a sip from the mug of tea next to him and turned a page in his book. David was glad to see that even though Patrick wasn’t able to sleep in, he was still relaxing. Not being able to stand it any longer, David took the final few steps to stand behind Patrick and slid his hands down Patrick’s shoulders resting just below his collar bone.

Whereas David would have startled, Patrick merely smiled, leaning back to look up at David. “Morning, Sunshine.”

David leaned forward and kissed Patrick’s forehead. “Morning.” He moved to sit in the chair next to Patrick, but was halted by Patrick’s grip on his wrist.

Placing his book down on the table, Patrick tugged on David gently and pulled him into his lap. They barely fit in the chair, but Patrick wrapped his arms around David tightly and kept him close. Patrick nuzzled into the crook of David’s neck, kissing him softly. “There’s a coffee maker in the other room.” He ran his nose gently up and down David’s neck as David hummed contently. “Or we can go downstairs for breakfast.”

“Or we can go down to our beach cabana and have breakfast served there.”

Patrick pulled back and looked up at David. “We aren’t staying in one of the premium suites. We aren’t guaranteed a cabana, David. We might get down there to find them all taken.”

“If you had married literally _anyone_ else that would be true. But… you married _me_.” He smirked at Patrick. “And I made friends with some of the staff when we went down for dinner last night and got one of them to agree to reserve us a cabana this morning.”

“How on earth did you manage that?” Patrick smiled at him, the astonishment bright across his face.

“Please. I have yet to find a situation, be that a free upgrade or an extended perk, that I can’t flirt my way into.”

*****

David closed his eyes against the sun as he leaned back into the comfort of their cabana. He was halfway through one of the novels he had brought with him and the sun was still high in the sky despite the hour. He sat back and looked out over the view in front of him. He wasn’t sure what to expect really, when he let Patrick plan their honeymoon, and let’s face it Mexico was their honeymoon, the days in Los Angeles were more of a family visit, but even on only day two it was exceeding any expectation he could have had.

He hadn’t been thrilled with the idea of Cancun, he could freely admit that, but Patrick had really delivered. This resort was definitely hitting all of David’s marks when it came to having a relaxing vacation. And yes, part of that was because he had flirted with a member of the staff to ensure they had the perfect cabana every day, but even without that, David didn’t think he would be sitting on the beach disappointed.

He smiled, his eyes hidden behind his giant sunglasses as the form of his husband became visible as Patrick walked towards him from the water. He was dripping wet and David’s heartbeat picked up ever so slightly as he let himself stare at Patrick. He lowered his sunglasses slowly as Patrick reached him, letting out a low, deep, wolf whistle.

Patrick laughed as he grabbed his towel off the end of the cabana and began to dry himself off. “I feel vaguely objectified.” He laid the towel out to dry and slid up to lay next to David.

“You should. I was absolutely objectifying you. I’m allowed.”

“Oh you are?”

“Did you miss that part of the vows, too?” He smiled, rolling his eyes at Patrick before pushing his sunglasses back up his face. “My God, did you even pay attention during our wedding?”

Patrick laughed again, leaned back and closed his eyes. He had been oscillating between laying in the sun with David and swimming in the warm ocean for most of the afternoon. But he was tired now and was looking forward to heading up to their room shortly and getting ready for dinner.

David turned to him and ran a hand softly down the side of his face. “Hmmm.” He frowned, dancing a finger across Patrick’s jaw. “You’re a little pink. You need more sunscreen if you’re going to go back in.”

“No, I’m done.” He could feel David frowning at him from behind his eyelids. “David, no matter how many times I reapply, I’m going to end up a little pink. It’s just the way it is.”

David frowned deeper, leaning over to kiss Patrick’s warm cheek. “My poor porcelain doll.”

Patrick smiled, reaching up to grab David’s hand and pull it to his lips, keeping his eyes closed. “Wanna head up? Take a shower? Take a nap? And then pick a place for dinner?”

David hummed in agreement as he grabbed his bag and gathered the few things that they had brought down from their room.

They slowly began to make their way back up to the room, their arms wrapped around each other loosely. “We have reservations for tomorrow, right?”

Patrick nodded. “And Saturday. Tonight and Friday are whatever we feel like.”

“Hmmm. Something tells me as much as I want to try, we aren’t going to have time to hit every restaurant.”

“Why is that?”

“Because as much as I love food, I have a feeling I’m going to have a hard time leaving the bed once we climb in it.”

Patrick grinned as they entered the blissfully empty elevator. He pressed the button for their floor and pulled David tight against him. “I’m trying to find a reason to be annoyed by that. And yet…”

*****

David was in actual heaven. That was the only way to describe his current condition. After spending a relaxing morning together on the beach, Patrick had wandered off after lunch to do one of the various outdoor activities the resort offered while David had gone to the first of his spa appointments.

He was halfway through his scrub, a chocolate and seasonal fruit body treatment that David had picked partially because it had sounded delicious despite not being anything he actually would be consuming. But the smell of the scrub was absolutely intoxicating and he was about to enjoy something called a chocolate mask and then a hot stone massage. And oh yes… David was definitely in heaven.

Two hours later, or possibly two days later David no longer had any concept of time, he walked into the spa’s indoor pool and immediately spotted Patrick, sitting in one of the comfortable loungers, his eyes closed. He looked relaxed and happy, the two emotions that David loved seeing across his face.

David took the seat next to him, smiling at the friendly member of the spa’s staff who handed him a glass of champagne. He mouthed a silent _thank you_ as he took the glass, nodding slightly to his left where Patrick sat, just on the edge of sleep. David sat there for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet sounds of the atmosphere around him and the glass of champagne in his hand. He let Patrick relax, hoping that this experience would change his feelings on massages, letting them enjoy a spa day at home in the future.

He waited for as long as he could before he reached over and gently ran his finger up and down Patrick’s arm. “Patrick. Patrick.” He placed his whole hand on Patrick’s arm and raised his voice ever so slight. “Patrick.”

Patrick stirred and turned towards David, blinking his eyes opening slowly. “Hey, baby.”

David smiled softly at Patrick’s sleep rough voice. He stood and moved over to him, sitting down by Patrick’s hip, placed his hand on Patrick’s chest, and leaned forward, kissing him ever so softly. “Did you have a nice time with your sports and special athlete massage?”

Patrick hummed, placing his hand over David’s, closing his eyes again as David rested his forehead against Patrick’s. “I did.” He breathed in David for a moment, grinning. “You smell like…” he wrinkled his nose in amusement. “Chocolate.”

David laughed softly and kissed him again. “Come on. We should go shower and get ready for dinner.”

Patrick nodded as David pulled back and stood. He held his hand out for Patrick to take as they slowly made their way through the pool area and back to their room.

“So, still weirded out by a stranger massaging you?”

“No, it was nice actually.” Patrick leaned against him as they entered the elevator. David wrapped his arms around him as the elevator moved slowly upwards.

“Does that mean in the future you might be open to going to the spa with me?”

“I think I could be persuaded.” Patrick grinned at him as the elevator doors pinged open.

*****

David looked at himself in the mirror and gave his hair a final adjustment. He turned and grabbed the suit jacket that was hanging on the door and slipped it on, fiddling with the fabric and ensuring that it laid just right before exiting the bathroom. The suit, black with just the slightest pinstripe, had been sitting in the back of his closet ever since they had moved and previously had lived in a garment bag in the closet of the Rosebud’s “love room”. He hadn’t had many excuses to pull out a suit since he had moved to Schitt’s Creek and for a long time thought he never would. But life with Patrick had been full of surprises, and he had a feeling he was only in for a lifetime of more.

He stepped back into the bedroom to find Patrick sitting comfortably in one of the arm chairs, scrolling through his phone. He stopped dead in his tracks as he took in Patrick’s suit. The deep navy color, the slim fit, the crisp white shirt underneath. He looked amazing, second best only to their wedding day. When Patrick told him they were having dinner at the Chef’s Plate, the only restaurant at the resort that required a more evening look, he knew Patrick would look good. He never expected this.

Patrick heard David’s footsteps in the room and moved his head towards David but kept his eyes on his phone. “Maggie checked in. She said everything is going smoothly, this month’s shipment of body milk is running late, but we have enough so it shouldn’t be a problem. She already called Brenda and she’s going to give us a credit for next month. Are you… ready…” He finally looked up away from the email and raked his eyes over David. “Holy… shit.”

“ _Me_ holy shit? _You_ holy shit!” David took a few steps forward as Patrick stood. “Patrick… this suit…” He ran his hands along the lapels of Patrick’s suit, running them up and down along his chest before smoothing them along Patrick’s shoulders. “ _Why_ have I never seen this suit?”

“It’s new.” He couldn’t stop staring at David. His eyes were moving swiftly trying to take in every inch of him all at once. “I bought it for this… David. This suit…” He ran his hands under David’s jacket along the jet-black button up underneath. “This… you… I have no idea how I am going to get through dinner with you sitting across from me in this.”

David smirked. “So, you like the suit.”

“Like the suit. David, I am seriously contemplating how I can convince you to skip dinner so we can stay here and I can fuck you in this suit.”

David grinned, placed his hands on either side of Patrick’s face and leaned in, kissing him softly, pulling away before Patrick could deepen it. “I spent way too long on my hair to let you ruin it already. Come on.” He grabbed Patrick’s hand and began leading him towards the door. “You promised me a fancy dinner, I want a fancy dinner.”

“You sure? Cause we can totally just order room service and…”

David laughed and dragged him out the door.

*****

Patrick placed his book down and looked over at David. It was Friday afternoon and they had been poolside since after lunch. He loved their life at home but at the same time, part of him wished they could stay here forever. David was the most relaxed Patrick had ever seen him in the three years they had known each other. His entire demeanor had changed on this trip. He seemed more at ease, less anxious. He knew that some of that would return when they went back home, the joys of owning a business and a home, but he hoped some of this would stay too.

“I think I’m going to go for a run.”

David glanced up from his book, his sunglasses hiding the shock in his eyes. “A run? Like… at the gym?”

“I think I’m going to go along the beach actually.” He sat up and turned in his chair towards David, swinging his legs over the side as he sat up. “I just feel like I have some excess energy. I’ve been so lazy this week.”

“Mmmm, is that not the point of a vacation?” David asked, his head tilting as he slid the sunglasses up to the top of his head, his voice raising ever so slightly.

Patrick smiled at him. He stood, grabbing his book and leaned over David. “It is. But I think I might go nuts if I don’t get some sort of exercise in. And the volleyball game the other day just wasn’t enough.” He kissed David’s forehead before standing up fully. “Will you still be here in an hour or so?”

David hummed in thought. “Probably not.” He tapped the screen of his phone, checking the time. It was almost five thirty in the afternoon, they had been laying out for close to four hours. “I think I might head up in a bit. Actually use that giant tub in our room.” Patrick quirked a single pale eyebrow at him. “I haven’t been anywhere with a tub that big since before we moved to Schitt’s Creek. Okay once but it doesn’t count. I was wallowing with Stevie.” He closed his eyes dreamily. “That thing has jets. I’m going full bubble bath.”

Patrick nodded and leaned down to kiss him one last time. “Have fun. Dinner after? We can order in? Eat on the balcony?”

“I’d like that.” David smiled up at him before sliding the sunglasses back into place and returning to his book. “Have fun on your run. Put more sunscreen on.”

Patrick rolled his eyes and ensured him he would before tapping his book against David’s shoulder lightly and heading off to change.

*****

Patrick stepped out of the elevator into the hallway leading back to their room and immediately felt better. He was sweaty and tired, but happy. After not having gone to the gym or out for a run all three days they had spent in Los Angeles, and only played a single game of beach volleyball the four days they had been in Mexico so far, he was starting to go a little stir crazy. David could spend days on end sitting by a pool or on the beach, reading his book or sun bathing. But Patrick needed more physical activity than that. But having gone for an hour long run on the beach, he felt unbelievably better. The antsy feeling under his skin was gone and he knew he’d be fine for the final few days of their trip.

He tapped the keycard to their room against the palm of his hand as he walked towards their door. As he approached he noticed a young room service porter pulling up outside the door, preparing to knock.

“Hi, there.” Patrick called as he stepped up to the young kid.

“Are you Mr. Brewer?”

“That’s me.” Patrick smiled, slipping the keycard into the lock and popping the door open slightly with his hip.

The porter turned to the cart behind him, indicating the small silver tray with a bottle of what looked like champagne in an ice bucket, two champagne flutes and a small card. “This was sent to you and a…” he glanced down at the list on the side of his cart. “Mr. Rose.”

“Oh. Wow. Okay.” Patrick turned to let the porter into the room when he heard music coming from behind him and remembered David’s plans. “You know what, I’ll just take it from here.”

He took the tray from the porter and set it inside the room, asking the young kid to wait a moment. He grabbed his wallet from the nightstand where he had left it earlier and pulled out cash to tip the kid. He turned back into the room with a thank you, shutting the door firmly behind him.

David didn’t react to Patrick’s exchange by the door, though Patrick wasn’t surprised. He was completely covered by bubbles, his neck and head only barely visible as music played loudly around him. Patrick moved the ice bucket and glasses to the table in their small sitting area and, grabbing the card, put himself in David’s eye line and tapped David’s phone, turning down the music slightly.

David opened his eyes at the volume change and looked up to see Patrick standing by the end of the tub near the balcony doors, a card in his hand.

“Hi. Nice run?” Patrick hummed a yes as he continued to read. “Whatcha got, there?”

Patrick handed the card over to David, his fingertips leaving wet marks along the edges as he took it from him.

“Since I couldn’t say it on the day, I’ll say it now. Congratulations, you two. May you be as happy as you desire. Get a little drunk, on me. Love Rachel.” David read the card aloud before looking back up at Patrick. “Well… that’s nice of her.”

Patrick nodded and walked over to the small table where he grasped the bottle and removed it from the ice bucket. “She sent this, too.”

David turned to see what Patrick was holding and let out a little gasp. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No… why?”

“Patrick. That is a $300 bottle of champagne.”

“What?!”

David turned leaning against the side of the tub, the water swishing around him. “Yeah. Easily $300. I can’t see all the details on the label. Might be more.”

“Well. Fuck. I guess it’s safe to say she’s not mad at me anymore.”

David laughed and turned back to lay fully in the tub again. “Nothing says I’m over you like sending a bottle of Cristal to your ex and his new husband.”

Patrick ripped the foil from the top of the bottle and began to untwist the metal cage. “We _should_ probably wait until we’re having dinner, but I really want to know what a $300 bottle tastes like.” He pulled the cork out with a gentle _pop_ and poured two glasses. He walked back over to David and sat on the edge of the tub. He took a small sip from his glass as he handed David the other one. “Okay, _wow_. This is good.”

David grinned and took a large sip from his glass. “There is nothing quite like good champagne.” He closed his eyes and sunk deeper into the bubbles. Patrick watched David for a moment, sipping slowly from his glass. He couldn’t help but think about how far he had come in such a short period of time. He was pulled from his reverie by David’s voice, breaking through his thoughts. “You’re staring.”

Patrick blinked rapidly several times. “Sorry.” He smiled down at David and took another, larger, sip from his glass. Standing up, he stripped his shirt off and toed out of his sneakers.

“What are you doing?”

“Joining you.”

“Um _excuse_ you. You are all gross and sweaty. You are not ruining my nice relaxing bath with all of _that_.” He waved his hand indicating Patrick’s general being.

“Wanna bet?” Patrick grinned, pulling the last of his clothes off. He shifted their glasses to the ledge behind David’s head before hoisting himself into the double sized tub. David’s cries of protest were drowned out by the laughter in his voice and the joy in his eyes. Patrick shifted in the water until he was straddling David’s waist, and taking David’s face between his hands, leaned down to kiss him deeply.

Patrick felt David’s hands grip his waist and pull him closer, arching his hips up to meet Patrick’s as he opened his mouth to Patrick. Patrick slid his hands into David’s hair as his tongue began to map David’s mouth, eliciting a deep moan from David’s chest. “Do you want to get out?” He mumbled against David’s mouth, barely separating the two of them.

“No.” David shook his head. He bent his knees, pitching Patrick forward, bringing him down impossibly closer. “No, I’m good right here.”

*****

Patrick stood on the balcony and looked out over the beach. It was their last night in Cancun. They were heading back to Schitt’s Creek tomorrow and their real lives. He glanced off to the side and smiled as he saw the resort staff setting up their evening plans.

He turned at the sound of David walking out of the bathroom and closed the balcony door behind him as he stepped back into the room. He smiled at David, looking at the outfit he had chosen when Patrick had promised him it was more casual than the other night. While Patrick had opted for a pair of jean shorts and a short sleeved button up, David looked straight out of a magazine shoot.

To the casual observer, they looked to be wearing similar outfits. They were both in shorts with a more structured button up shirt on top. But Patrick had been with David long enough to know by now that their two outfits could not be more different. Where Patrick’s shorts were of what David lovingly referred to as the mid-range denim variety, David’s were black and upon closer inspection, made from a soft fabric. And while Patrick’s short sleeved button up was his typical blue tone, though this particular shirt had a slight pattern to it when you looked closely, David’s was almost the exact opposite. Long sleeved and black, the majority of the left side of the shirt was white, creating a pattern that Patrick vaguely recognized.

He stopped in his tracks for a moment, looking at the shirt as a small smiled played across his face.

“What? Do I not… Is this not okay?”

Patrick shook his head, the smile growing on his face as he stepped into David’s space and kissed him. “No, no. It works perfectly. Just… memories.”

“Frozen mozzarella sticks and picture frames?” Patrick stepped back startled as though David had read his mind. David shrugged. “I was hoping you’d make the connection.”

Patrick felt himself unable to fully comprehend the moment before him. He cleared the emotion out of his throat and grasped David’s hand in his. “Come on. Let’s go to dinner.”

Patrick led him through the hotel and down to the beach where small orbs of light had been placed in the sand, creating a lighted walkway down to a row of gauzy canopies, each with a small table for two placed underneath, beautiful white linens on the table and draped from the canopies, giving each table their own private setting.

David was speechless as they made their way over to their table. He still hadn’t found the words when Patrick pulled out a chair for him, or sat down beside him. Tears were forming in his eyes as he looked out over the ocean and back at Patrick. He placed one hand over his mouth as he tried to force words to come out.

Finally, he said the only thing that seemed right in the moment. He reached out and grasped Patrick’s hand as he spoke. “I love you.”

*****

Some time, and three courses later, they sat under their little canopy, happy and on the verge of full. As the server stopped by with coffee and dessert, Patrick glanced over at his husband and marveled for the millionth time about the creature he had managed to find.

“Can I ask you something I’ve always wondered?” Patrick leaned back, looking at David, a cup of tea in his hands.

“Sure.” David took a sip of his coffee, closing his eyes and sighing lightly at the taste.

“I know your conversation with Ted is part of the reason you told me you loved me, that first time.” David nodded slowly, taking a forkful of dessert and savoring the bite. “But… and it’s okay if you don’t know the answer to this. But, when did you know? That you loved me?”

David sat for a moment, taking another bite of dessert, trying to find the right words. “I think… I think I was certain that day. When you said it to me. I think that’s when I knew for sure that I loved you. But looking back… I’m not sure I recognized it then, or… or believed it. But… When you sang to me. At our first Open Mic Night. When you got up there, in front of everyone… There was just something about the way you looked at me. The words you were singing.” David tilted his head slightly, closing his eyes to the memory. “During…” he cleared this throat. “During the song, at one point, my mother reached out and gripped my arm. We were both fully prepared for you to be terrible.”

Patrick laughed, remembering how hard he had worked to throw David off the idea that he knew what he was doing, how much he wanted David to believe he was going to be bad.

“But when she gripped my arm, both of us realizing just how beautiful your voice is…” David shook his head, tears sitting in his eyes. “Oh I was gone.” Patrick leaned forward and kissed him then, reaching up to brush a few stray tears away. David smiled, and sat back, wiping the last of the tears away. He reached for his coffee and took another sip, giving himself a moment. “What about you?”

“When did I know?” David nodded, taking another bite of his dessert. “It was a week or two before that. We were at Ray’s. We had been watching a movie, I can’t even remember which one anymore, but you had fallen asleep. And I looked over, and there you were, facing me, your hands under your head, curled up, still in your clothes, in a room with truly hideous wallpaper.” They both laughed softly. “And I just looked at you and thought, I love him.”

Patrick looked down at the table for a moment. He tapped a finger along the edge, feeling the crisp linens beneath it. When he looked up, tears were falling softly down David’s face. “I knew it was too soon. Way too soon to tell you. I had only been your boyfriend for a couple of weeks but… God, David. I was already so in love with you, I’m honestly not sure how I managed to keep it to myself for so long.”

David picked up the napkin from his lap and wiped the tears from his eyes. He sat for a moment, forcing his heartrate to slow down before meeting Patrick’s eyes again. “Thank you.”

Patrick smiled. “For what?”

David shrugged. “For telling me. For the last three years. All of it.”

Patrick leaned forward and placed his hand around the back of David’s head, pulling him close. He dropped his voice almost to a whisper. “Well, luckily, I am a very generous person.” He pulled David into a kiss, David laughing against his mouth.

When desserts had been finished and the table cleared, Patrick grabbed David’s hand and gestured towards the ocean. “Take a walk with me?” David simply nodded and let Patrick lead him down the beach.

They walked slowly, hand in hand, as the very edge of the water flicked at their toes, their shoes carried in their free hands. They walked further up the beach, watching the waves roll in and out along the coastline. A small gathering seemed to be taking place a little farther up and as they neared, they stopped, realizing a wedding was taking place.

They stood with their arms around each other and watched as the couple exchanged rings. As the couple leaned forward and kissed, David leaned down, kissing Patrick lightly. Patrick smiled at him and winked. They stood there for a moment longer before turning around and heading back towards their resort.

They paused after a moment and stepped just slightly further into the water, looking out over it, still wrapped in each other.

“When did you know?”

“Hmm?” Patrick turned towards David. “When did I know, what?”

“That you wanted to marry me.”

“Ah.” Patrick smiled and tugged on David’s waist lightly, starting them towards the resort once again. “Well, I had been thinking about it for a while. After you had made that ‘five years down the line’ comment.” David groaned slightly, never loving to be reminded of his brief foray into self-sabotage. “But I knew for sure after my birthday. When you came to me that afternoon, and offered to let me stay in the closet…” Patrick shook his head. “I know how hard that must have been. How… how selfless it was. And then after… when my mom told me about your conversation with them. How you went to them… I knew. I knew you’d always protect me, in the ways I wanted to always protect you.”

David sniffled slightly and pressed a kiss into the side of Patrick’s head. “Well.” He cleared his throat. “Since you planned such a perfect honeymoon for us. I think it’s only fair that I give you this.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, opening it to an email and pulling up the photo attached to it. He handed the phone to Patrick who took it, looking at the screen, bewilderment bright across his face.

“He’s not quite ready for us, but we can pick him up in a few weeks.”

Patrick gaped at him. “Are you serious?”

“I called Ted. And we had a long discussion about what was needed to meet both of our expectations. He’s low shed and hypoallergenic so he won’t leave hair all over my couch. Or sweaters. And he’s all black, so he fits with my aesthetic. And he’ll stay small so I won’t have to worry about a giant monster taking over our house.” David looked over at Patrick who had an almost manic grin on his face. “He’s very young but Dr. Miguel said he’ll help us train him and I talked to Ronnie who said she can get us a new backdoor for the kitchen with a built in doggy door. Plus, I’m told that this particular breed has a lot of energy so he’ll be happy to go out with you in the mornings.”

“I… I can’t believe you did this.” He looked down again at the photo of the little back puppy.

“Please. I know you’ve been picking all those movies lately for a reason. You weren’t subtle, Patrick.” David rolled his eyes though a smile as they stepped into the elevator and began to climb towards their room. “Using rom-coms to get me to agree to a dog.” David scoffed good naturedly as they entered their room. “Honestly, Patrick. That was dirty.”

Patrick grinned as he pulled David towards him. “I told you I was going to do everything I could think of to get you to agree. It’s not _my_ fault you’re so easily swayed by Reese Witherspoon and John Cusack.”

“Mmmm. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.”

“Good ol’ Brinkley.” Patrick smirked as they tumbled, laughing, onto the bed.

*****

Several hours later they laid together, their suitcases packed and by the door ready for their check out the next morning. The balcony door stood open before them, letting in a soft breeze and billowing the curtains.

David was curled up on Patrick’s chest, his ear pressed deep against him as he listened to the stead beat of Patrick’s heart. He let one hand trace patterns across Patrick’s abdomen and chest, as Patrick’s hand drifted slowly up and down David’s back.

David shifted ever so slightly to place a kiss right above Patrick’s heart. Patrick hummed contently and pulled David tighter against him. David sat for a moment, his cheek pressed against Patrick’s warm skin before he leaned back and tilted his head to make eye contact.

“Patrick?”

“Hmmm?”

“You really are my happy ending, you know that, right?”

Patrick simply smiled and leaned down, kissing him deeply before he pulled back and pulled David against him, happy to fall asleep just like that.

**Author's Note:**

> All the places mentioned here are indeed real. All of the Los Angeles locations are based on the 15 years I have lived in this city and I can vouch for all of them with the exception of the hotel the boys stay in. It exists but is so new that it isn't actually open yet. If you get a chance to come visit this crazy city (don't do it now, we are a coronavirus mess!), I highly recommend Saturday nights at Oil Can Harry's and dinners at C&O Trattoria in Marina Del Ray where the garlic knots are in fact endless and really really good. The dispensary is also a real location, and as it is legal in California and Canada all I will say is - enjoy responsibly.
> 
> The barrier in front of the Prada store on Rodeo is also really there. There are several along the street, but one is indeed directly in front of the Prada doors (which, does vaguely look like a parking garage). Every time I drive past it (which, when we used to be able to work in our offices was 5 days a week) I burst out laughing and just think "Oh, Alexis."
> 
> I have not been to Cancun myself, however I did a stupid amount of research and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to go at some point in the future. The resort they stayed at is [real.](https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/mexico/hyatt-zilara-cancun/cunia) Everything they do there is real as well. I spent a long time looking at photos and reviews. It's fine. Quarantine does weird stuff to a person.
> 
> The shirt David wears on the last night is a Neil Barrett design because of COURSE it is.
> 
> Also if you get the chance (and are of legal age wherever you live), I highly recommend drinking a $300 bottle of Cristal. Cause that shit is delicious.
> 
> Please remember to take care of yourself out there. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Keep 6 feet away. And keep fighting for Black people, Trans people, Indigenous people, and anyone who needs help. We are not truly free until all are free. And don't forget, just because you haven't experienced hatred because of who you are, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Keep fighting for those who no longer can and we will all be okay.
> 
> You are loved, you are important, and you are wanted.


End file.
